Understanding Humanism Teacher Training – Secondary

'This session has been really fantastic, thank you! I feel I have come out understanding humanism a lot more as even I sometimes struggled to distinguish it from atheism.'

Helena Moore, KS3-5 RS teacher

‘Hearing from a representative of Humanists UK provided valuable insight into how Humanist values, ethics, and worldviews are applied in everyday life, which helped trainees to move beyond abstract theory.’

Heather, PGCE Course Lead, Edge Hill University.

What is humanism and how can I most effectively teach about it to support my students’ understanding of non-religious worldviews?

Humanism is the prevalent non-religious worldview in the UK, with a long and rich history and a global presence. It addresses many of the questions explored in the RE classroom around beliefs, values, and practices. Teaching about it provides the best and easiest way to make your RE inclusive of non-religious worldviews.

In our highly-rated training course, we’ll break down the humanist approach to life into five core areas of knowledge to support your teaching and planning. Our content is designed to provide students with an understanding of how humanists respond to life's big questions, giving them the tools to consider the humanist perspectives on many of themes and topics explored in RE. There will also be the opportunity to learn about other labels used to describe the non-religious and their beliefs, the contemporary landscape of religion and belief in the UK, and common misconceptions about the non-religious.

We'll provide you with suggestions for practical ways to bring humanism to life in the classroom, including stories, real-world case studies, and suggested activities. There's also the opportunity for you to ask your questions about the humanist worldview.

Ideal for teachers new to teaching about non-religious worldviews and non-specialists, as well as RE leaders looking to introduce a unit of work on humanism.

At Understanding Humanism, we believe all young people should have the opportunity to learn about humanism alongside religions as part of a broad and balanced education about worldviews. Learning about humanism supports students to develop a richer understanding of religion and belief, supports their SMSC development, and promotes mutual understanding between people from different backgrounds.

We’ve delivered training to over 3000 teachers since 2021.

If you have any questions about this event, please contact our Director of Understanding Humanism, Luke Donnellan, on education@humanists.uk.